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Raz Simone - "Family Films" [prod. Antwon Vinson]


With "Family Films", Raz Simone and his Black Umbrella family tap into all the Halloween tropes while liberating a far deeper underlying revelation about the real haunting shit that exists in our lives outside of the fun we have on Halloween.

Brought to life through a truly cinematic experience, the Jacob Hill-shot "Family Films" features Raz Simone walking through a house saturated with a plethora of horror-based characters and scenery. Throughout the entirety of the video, Simone is immune to the various activity that would cause most people to, at the very least, flinch - if not run for their lives. What a wonderful means of portraying and representing the, one can only presume, wide spectrum of real-life horrors Simone has experienced.

Those real haunting experiences, many of which have been addressed on previous releases, have made him numb to the illusions of fear we call upon so readily in the Halloween season. Regardless of his apparent lack of fear, Simone utilizes his poetic delivery to make clear - whether flinching or not - he is a human being who has feelings. Like anyone else, he experiences different emotions...he's just self-aware enough to not fall victim to those passing feelings.

Backed by the perfectly imposed somber, eerie production that comes courtesy of Antwon Vinson and Simone himself, Raz does what he does best, seemingly reciting verses straight out of the pages of his personal diary. It's this lyrical content, presented with a numbing flow, that showcases Simone's very real ability to experience and feel, as well as his ability to maneuver and thrive through his experiences without succumbing to the addiction to overthinking that takes over the minds and lives of so many people here in the physical.

On "Family Films", Raz reveals the different ways in which he has sacrificed so much at the expense of his own freedom, safety and financial/physical/mental/emotional well-being in order to provide for his people. Again, we see the self-awareness that Simone possess when he openly admits that his "life is not that sustainable."

In giving others a foundation to stand on, he's watched his "family" turn around and use that selfless service in order to go into business for self. And it's one thing to use the help of an individual to begin taking care of oneself, but it's another to do so and then turn their backs on Simone in the process - whether it's through words, actions, subliminal shots on social media or any other means of cowardly betrayal. As a result, Simone has learned - more than likely a long time ago - that "love and loyalty aren't interchangeable". While he's out here risking it all to "bring all the Heavens to Earth", those around him are choosing to dance upon the line that separates love and loyalty.

Perhaps most poetic is Simone's steadfastness in continuing to provide and give of himself for his people. Rather than allowing bitterness to overpower his desire to spread love and abundance for his people - to bring his vision to life - Simone accepts the knives in his back and still selflessly pushes forward, only growing stronger and more knowledgeable in the process.

Raz Simone's Drive Theory is available now on all major streaming platforms, including Apple Music and Spotify.

Experience the Black Umbrella visual experience below.

 

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